By Devon Evans, Gleaner Writer 
The daughters of Mildred and Jean Betrand-Aristide, left, seven-year-old Christine and five-year-old Michaelle.
THE DEPARTURE from the island of ousted Haitian President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide today will rob several students of the Lydford Park Preparatory School in St. Ann of two newly found friends.
Since their arrival in the island on Monday, March 15, former President Aristide and his wife, Mildred, have kept themselves away from public view, apart from attending Good Friday Mass at the Roman Catholic Church in Ocho Rios. But their two children, seven-year-old Christine and five-year-old Michaelle, who joined them on March 18, have been intermingling with children in the upscale Lydford Park community, especially at the preparatory school.
The Aristides' children have been seen by residents, attending the school regularly for several weeks. They have reportedly established close friendship with several of the students, most of whom regard them as being "very nice".
The Lydford Park Prep School is located some 500 metres from Lydford Park Great House, where the Aristides' children had been temporarily housed with their parents. Teachers at the school have refused to say whether or not the young Aristides were attending classes there, but some parents confirmed their presence and said based on reports from some of their own children, "the two little girls seem to be getting on well with the other students".
Every effort was made by the authorities at the school to downplay the presence of the children there but it was the strong detachment of heavily armed soldiers seen in and around the institution most days that raised the curiosity of parents and led the children to be identified. One parent, who asked not to be named told The Sundy Gleaner that her daughter was very fond of the young Aristides and that when she visited the school she observed that they were very friendly children. "I know my daughter and the other children will surely miss them," she said.
Meanwhile, Huntley Medley, media liaison officer for former president Mr. Aristide, denied that the two girls were enrolled as students of the Lydford Park Prep School.
In a recent interview, he however, admitted that the children have been visiting the school regularly. "They have been socialising with the children in the community, but they were not attending school," Mr. Medley explained.
He also said that Christine and Michaelle's formal education was being supervised by their parents and that much of their academic work is done at their temporary home.
